Uber Japan has begun a trial of using vehicles for car-sharing services to transport customers as part of its ride-hailing operations in Tokyo. The aim is to increase the number of ride-hailing drivers available. The company has partnered with taxi firm Royal Limousine and car-sharing service provider Times Mobility Co. for this experimental project, which started on Tuesday. The goal is to allow ordinary drivers who do not own vehicles to offer ride-hailing services more easily and thus encourage more people to enter the business.
During the trial, which will continue until November 30th, drivers recruited by Royal Limousine will use two vehicles owned by Times Mobility to provide ride-hailing services in central Tokyo’s 23 wards, as well as the western Tokyo cities of Musashino and Mitaka. Uber will evaluate the results from this trial period before deciding whether or not to fully launch these services.
In April, the Japanese government partially lifted a ban on ride-hailing services, allowing individuals to use their private vehicles for paid rides. However, these services have not gained as much popularity as expected due in part to limitations on time and area coverage.
Kazuo Horie, an adviser at Royal Limousine, expressed his hopes that allowing people without cars to work as drivers would help expand ride-hailing services in Japan. This trial represents an opportunity for Uber Japan and its partners to assess the feasibility and potential impact of utilizing car-sharing vehicles for their operations in Tokyo’s transportation market.